Garden Centre

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Tips for January Gardeners

It’s come to my attention that there’s something called a recession happening. For those of us who spend as much time as possible in the garden, this comes as a bit of a surprise, but there you are, I’ve caught up eventually.

So on that basis, I’ve been thinking about tips and tricks that make life in my garden cheaper, or easier, or both and perhaps this is a good time to share them with my lovely readers.

First – seed packets, especially flower seeds, always have many more seeds than you want to plant in a year. To keep them viable, beg, steal or borrow those black capsule containers that 35mm camera film arrives in. My local photo processor is happy to give me a carrier bag full every year. The lids fit beautifully and if they are hermetically sealed for film they are ideal for seeds. and you can write on them in white eraser fluid.

Old toothbrushes are brilliant for cleaning small pots and the corners of greenhouses (see how easily I say that, as if I’d have a greenhouse for years?) where diseases can lurk

Old tights with the toes cut off are brilliant for storing three inch pots after you’ve cleaned them with a toothbrush – just push a whole line into the tight legs and hang them in the shed. Tie a loose knot in the bottom end and then you can untie it, pull out a few pots and tie it up again. Or, if you’re bad at knots, use a peg.

The cardboard wine carriers that supermarkets give away are a really good accessory for garden maintenance day. Put your twine, labels and pen secateurs, gloves, seed packets etc in the different compartments.

Labels: gardening tips, january garden tips, thrifty gardening

The All Seasons Gardener at 8:37 AM

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